Salvaging equipment



E. L. RADER 2,015,963

SALVAGING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l @ch 1, 1935.. E.L. RADER SALVAGING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51/5/941 L- HQ 054 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 6 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved salvaging equipment formarine vessels, liners, ships, etc. designed especially for the purposeof saving property from sunken or submerged ships.

In carrying out my invention I employ a salvaging tube or shaft as partof the equipment of the ship, which extends from the ships strongroom orvault where valuable comparatively small articles are stored, to the topdeck of the ship where the tube is provided with a trap closure orspring-opened twin-door or hatch that is closed and bolted at the innerside of the closure. A buoyant-container for the storage of valuables ishoused in the salvaging tube within the ships vault, where the containeris readily accessible to authorized ofiicers for storing valuablesduring the ships passage, and from which the valuables may be withdrawnat the end of the passage.

Means are provided whereby the buoyant container may be floated from thesalvaging tube to the waters surface when the ship is sunk, as in theevent of a wreck, and thereafter the buoyant container performs thefunctions of a signal buoy in addition to its functions as a salvagingappliance, for acquainting a rescue ship with the location of the wreck.

In addition to the use of the buoyant container for valuables in theships vault or store room, I provide non-buoyant containers that areconnected with the buoyant-container, and which may be lifted to thedeck of the rescue ship by suitable hoisting apparatus, through thesalvaging tube for the purpose of recovering their valuable contents.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts for accomplishing the purposes as here broadly stated, as willhereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanyingdrawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physicalembodiment of my equipment in which the parts are combined and arrangedaccording to one mode I have thus far devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention, but it will be understoodthat various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplifyingstructures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from theprinciples of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a ship indicating bydotted lines the location of the salvaging equipment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail, longitudinal, vertical sectional view of thatportion of the ship in which is located the salvaging equipment, thesalvaging tube and strong room of the ship being shown in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional view showing the ships vault,and the buoyant container in its normal position.

Figure 4 is an end view of a cable drum, forming part of the equipment,and illustrating a tension brake for the drum that controls theunreeling of the salvage cable.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the closure or hatch atthe upper end of the salvaging tube, and the operating means by whichthe hatch is released, and spring opened.

. Figure 6 is a top plan view of the hatch closure of Fig. 5.

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view at the bottom of a modified form ofsalvaging tube, showing a portion of the buoyant container, and Figure 8is a View showing three of the non-buoyant containers, one of which isillustrated as in section, and all connected in a string with thebuoyant container.

In order that the general arrangement and location of parts of theequipment may readily be understood I have shown in Figure 1 a portionof a ship or oceanliner S with its several.

decks D and the top deck D indicated in Figure 2. The strong. room ofvault V of the ship is provided with a suitable door V and located inthe usual position of the ships structure. The salvaging tube T ispreferably of cylindrical shape, built into the structure of the ship,and as indicated in Figure 2 the tube extends upwardly from the interiorof the vault to and through the top deck D. The lower end of the tubehas a lateral adit opening I located within the vault, and the bottom ofthe tube is provided with openings A, A that are preferably taperedinwardly toward the interior of the tube, for circulation of air, andpassage of water in the event that the ship sinks.

The upper end of the tube, above the upper deck D is provided with atwin-hatch or closure in the form of semi-circular doors 2 and 3 thatare hinged at 4, exterior of the tube, and provided with overlappingfree edges 5 to insure an inaccessible closure for the tube, andunauthorized tampering with the equipment.

The twin hatch doors 2 and 3 are each provided with vent holes 2, which,together with the Vent holes A at the bottom of the tube, provide forventilation of the tube, and also provide for escape of air from thetube, as well as provide for equalization of water pressure'in the tubewhen the vessel or ship becomes submerged.

' The spring hatch doors are normally locked in closed position but whenthe lock is released the twin hatch doors are swung upward and outwardlyby springs 6 coiled about the hinges of the doors, as indicated by thedotted lines in Figure 5.

' The twin hatch-doors are locked at their inner sides by means of aslide bolt 1 extending transversely of the doors and mounted in strapsor loops 8 fixed to the under surfaces of the two doors, and of coursethe bolt extends across the joint at the meeting edges of the doors. Atone end of the slide bolt a link 5! ispivoted, and this link ispivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever to, which ispivoted at H in brackets of one of the doors. A weighted head l2, whichis located at the center of the tube just below the from its lockingposition.

twin hatch doors, is pivoted at I3 to the longer arm of the bell cranklever, and this operating head is thus suspended in the path of movementof a buoyant container M, which is designed to ascend through the tub,when the ship sinks and water fills the submerged interior portion ofthe ship. The ascending buoyant container strikes the head l2 and liftsit, thereby swinging the bell crank lever and withdrawing the bolt Thetwin hatch doors are thus released, and the springs 6 swing the doorsopen for the passage from the tube of the buoyant container, whichlatter rises to the surface of the water and performs the functions of asignal buoy for a'rescue ship. 7

The buoyant container is fashioned from light but strong material, andits cylindrical exterior is provided with suitable anti-frictiondevices, as balls or rollers I l for contact with the interior of thecylindrical salvage tube to facilitate the ascending movement of thecontainer as it passes up through the tube.

The container is formed with an inner shell l5 spaced within the'outer'shell, and reinforcing partitions I6 between the shells provideair cells l1 that form a jacket surrounding the interior of thecontainer. This jacket may contain air or light gas .to insure thebuoyance of the container in order that it will float to the surface ofthe water after leaving the salvage tube.

The top portion of the container is preferably provided with a gaschamber 18 for confining a suitable lethal gas that is used as aprecaution against possible tampering with the tube or with thecontainer. Thus for instance, should burglary be attempted through thetop of the container while'it is confined in the bottom of the tube, therelease of gas from this chamber would be an efiective means forpreventing such operations.

. The buoyant container is designed to contain various valuables thatmay be stored therein during passage of the ship by the purser, and forthis purpose the interior of the inner shell is provided with horizontalpartitions I9v forming compartments 2B, and doors 2 l, with the usualcombination locks, are provided for each ofthe compartments, the doorsbeing accessible through the adit opening. I in the lower end of thetube, as

indicated in Figures.

. An audible signal, as a bell 22 is mounted on the top of the buoyantcontainer, to be sounded after the container reaches the surface of thewater, by the rockingmotion caused by waves, and a lifting frame orspider 23 is secured to the top of the container, over the bell, andprovided with a ring 24, for attachment of a hoisting line or cable,when the container is hoisted aboard the rescue ship.

Under normal conditions the buoyant container rests in the bottom of thetube, within the strong room or vault of the ship, where it is readilyaccessible to authorized parties, as the purser or other ofiicer of theship, and the container is supported above the floor of the vault orstrong room in such position as to insure freedom of movement of a cable25 that is attached to a ring 26 secured at the bottom of the buoyantcontainer. This cable passes freely down through an eye 2'! in the floorof the strong room, into a drum-chamber or compartment 28 beneath thestrong room, and a drum 1 29 is mounted in this compartment with thecable- Wo-und thereon, the inner end of the cable, preferably, beingloose from the drum. The cable of course is unwound from the drum whenthe buoyant container rises through the salvage tube, and 2 the cable ishauled up through the tube and suspended from the buoyant container whenthe latter performs its functions as a signal buoy on the surface of thewater.

The shaft 38 of the drum is journaled in bearings as 3!, and theunreelingof the cable is preferably controlled by a tension brake whichoperates to retard paying out of the cable after the buoyant containerhas reached the water-surface; The tension brake applies a lightfrictional engagement of the brake shoes 32, hinged at 33, to

the brake ring 34 that is mounted on the brake drum. These shoesencircle the brake ring as seen in Figure' l, and a tension bolt35 ispassed through holes in the two arms 36 of the shoes. 3

'A tension spring 31 is coiled about the bolt and .the frictionalcontact of the brake members may also be varied for control of therotary movement of the drum. 415

The container is made extremely buoyant by the use of light structuralmaterial having great strength, and the cells forming the jacket aroundthe interior of the container may be exhausted of their air content toprovide a vacuum, or the cells 5 may be filled'with a buoyant gas, as isfound desirable. The heavier articles are placed in the lower,water-tight, compartments of the con tainer, and the lighter articlesorvaluables are placed in the upper compartments, to insure a low centerof gravity and upright position of the container when it floats on thesurface of the water. V The buoyancy of the container is sufficient to.unreel and lift the cable as the buoyant container from the drum andlifted free of the ship, the

cable then serving to stable the movement of the 7 buoyant container asit rides on the surface of the 7 water, and to hold it in uprightposition. Should the container reach the Water surface before the 7entire cable is unwound, the tension brake onthe, drum provides ananchorage for the cable and the container, and'the buoyant containerindicates the location ofthe sunken ship to the rescue ship.

In the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, theuse of the cable-drum is dispensed with, and the buoyant container andits salvage tube" are utilized for salvaging other and heavier valuableproperty in addition to the lighter articles stored in the container.

In Figure '7 it will be seen that the container, as [4, is supportedadjacent the adit opening I of the tube, and just above an open, flaringend 39 of the tube. The container is supported in its normal position ondisplaceable trips 40 of angular shape, which are hinged at M in lugs 42on the exterior of the tube, and the container is supported on thehorizontal arm 40, while the upright arm of each trip is provided with aweight as 43. To support the containerthe trips are swung in throughslots 44 of the tube-wall and the bottom of the container rests on thesein wardly extending trips. When the container is lifted through thetube, as heretofore described, the trips are free to be turned on theirhinges or pivots 4|, and swung outside of the tube as indicated by thedotted lines in Figure '7.

The cable 45, which is connected to the container I4 is anchored to thefirst one, as 46, of three carriers, the other two being designated as41 and 48. These carriers may be. increased or decreased in numbers, andare designed in size and shape to pass freely through the inlet opening39 of the tube, and thence up through the tube. The three carriers areconnected by cables 49 and 59, and they are to be successively hauled upthrough the tube to the water surface, by suitable hoisting means on asalvage ship, after the location of the sunken ship has been signalledby the buoyant container I4 performing the functions of a signal.

The carriers are preferably cylindrical in shape and formed with onefixed head and a removable head, which are joined by means of a tiebolt, as indicated in the sectional carrier of Figure 8.

This tie-bolt 5| extends through the longitudinal axis of the carrier,and exterior of the carrier heads the bolt is provided with couplingrings 52 and 53 to which the cables, as 45 and 49 are connected, thusproviding a string of carriers with intermediate cables connecting themthrough the tie-bolts of the carriers.

The fixed head of the cylindrical carrier has a countersunk portion 53to accommodate the coupling ring 53, and the floor of the strong room orvault may be provided with a groove V2 to ac commodate the cables 49 and59, and thus permit storing of the carriers in suitable positions sothat they may successively be picked up, lifted, and hoisted through thesalvage tube T.

The removable head 54 of the carrier, which head is of circular shape,is countersunk below the top of the carrier to permit coiling of thepull cable or hoisting cable 45, 49, or 59, and the removable head islocked in closed position by means of a transversely extending bolt 55having its ends secured in the wall of the carrier at oppositediametrical points. The underside of the removable head is fashionedwith spaced eyes 55 and the locking bolt is passed through these eyeswith its ends seated in the wall of the carrier, thereby securely fixingthe head in the carrier.

The cable is coiled, as at 5'! in the recess formed by the countersunkhead within the carrier, and the formation of the coil is retained bythe use of a flexible and resilient guard in the form of a disk 58having a radial slot 59 to accommodate the cable, and formed with acentral depressed cup 60 in which the eye or ring 52 of the tie bolt isenclosed. The resilient and flexible guard 58, it will be understood,holds the coils of cables 49 and 50 in the recesses of the carriers 41and 48, even though these carriers are shown as resting on their sides.Thus the coils of cables 49 and 59 are retained in position similar tothe coil 51 in order that they, like the coil 51 may be unreeled Withoutdanger of tangling.

In Figures 7 and 8 it will be apparent that when the buoyant container Il rises from its supports and the cable 45 is uncoiled to its last turn,the strain will be imposed on the eye 52 of the tie bolt 5i, and thenthe first carrier 46 will be in position to be hoisted by suitablemachinery on a rescue or salvage ship to the waters surface.

The upper end of the cable 45 is detached from the salvaged buoyantcontainer and this end is attached to and may be wound upon a hoistingdrum. As the drum is turned the carrier is lifted through the flaredguide-opening 39 at the bottom of the tube T, and as the carrier passesthe trips 49 these devices are turned from the inner to the outer sideof the tube, out of ,the way of succeeding carriers. As soon as thecarrier 46 is started on its upward movement the coil of the cable 49starts unwinding from the carrier 41, and this carrier is eventuallylifted from its rest ing place on the floor of the vault and passedupwardly through the salvage tube. Finally the last carrier of thestring is lifted to the waters surface and loaded onto the salvage ship.

These carriers are usually stored in a strong room or compartment of theship directly below the ships vault V, and the carriers are arranged inpositions so that they may readily follow one after another, up throughthe salvage tube during the salvaging operations.

While the buoyant container I4 is designed for storage of valuables ofcomparatively light weight, the carriers, on the other hand, aredesigned for storing heavier valuable cargo, such as specie, bullionbars, and other valuables that are heavy in weight, and are usuallyinaccessible during passage of the ship.

The buoyant-container, after its floats to the surface of the water,provides a signal for the salvage or rescue ship, and the buoyantcontainer is anchored by means of the carriers in the hold of the ship,it being understood that the cables 45, 49 and 59 are of sufficientlength so that they may extend from their respective carriers to thewaters surface. Thus, after the ship is sunk, the first rescue ship maypick up the buoyant-container with its stored valuables, and replace thecontainer with a suitable buoy attached at the upper end of the cable45. Then, when the salvage ship arrives, the buoy is picked up anddetached from cable 45, the cable is wound upon hoisting mechanism tobring the carrier 46 to the surface. Carrier 46 is then disconnectedfrom cable 49 and the buoy attached at the upper end of this cable tohold the cable 49 until it can be attached to the Windlass or Windingdrum on the salvage ship, and the same proceeding is carried out withrespect to cables 49 and 59 and the carriers 4'7 and 48.

In this manner it will be apparent that valuables, documents, currencyand the like may be recovered from a sunken or submerged ship or linercarrying my salvaging equipment, without the necessity for the servicesof divers or the use of expensive salvage operations.

Having thus. fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

' 1. In salvaging equipment for a sunken ship, the combination with abuoyant container having a salvage cable attached thereto, of a carrierconnected to said cable, said carrier having a countersunk head forminga recess for the coiled cable, and a coil-guard comprising a resilientflexible member overlapping the coil and means for securing said guardto the head. V

2. In a salvaging equipment for a sunken ship, the combination with abuoyant container having a salvaging cable attached thereto, of acarrier having a countersunk head forming a recess for a coil of thecable, a coil-guard overlapping said coil, and means for securing saidguard to said head.

3. In a salvaging equipment for a sunken ship, the combination With abuoyant receptacle having a salvaging cable attached thereto, of a pairof carriers, one of said carriers having a tiebolt mounted therein andconnected to an end of saidcable, a second cable connected to said tiebolt and connected to the second carrier, each of said carriers having acountersunk head forming a recess for the coiled cable, a coil guardoverlappingeach of said coils, and means for securing said guard to ahead.

'4. In a carrier for salvaging equipment the combination with an openend receptacle, of a removable, countersunk head and means for securingsaid head in thereceptacle, a cable attached to the head, said cablebeing wound in a coil within the recess, a coil guard overlapping saidcoil, and means for securing said guard to the head.

5. In a carrier for salvaging equipment, the combination with areceptacle having a closed head and an open end, of a countersunk headhaving bolt eyes and a bolt passed through said eyes and secured in thewall of the receptacle, a tie bolt extending through said heads and acable attached to said tie-bolt, said cable being wound in a coil insaid recess, a resilient flexible guard overlapping said coil andprovided with a slot for the cable, said guard having a central cup,

and a coupling eye on the tie bolt located in said 7 cup for securingsaid guard.

6. In salvaging equipment, the combination with a salvage tube having atop closure confined within the tube and means for automatically openingsaid closure, of a buoyant container, a pair of L-shaped supportspivoted exterior of the tube and projecting through holes in the tubefor supporting the container, a cable connected to the container and acarrier fastened to the cable, and said supports being gravity actuatedto swing out of the tube when the buoyant container is floated.

ELISHA L. RADER.

